Kerin Kaminski

Co-founder, Giffen & Kaminski LLC

Kerin Kaminski is understandably proud to be on the verge of becoming the next president of the Cleveland Bar Association — though it’s an honor that she says has “saddened” her as well. The reason: When she is installed as president on June 29, Ms. Kaminski will become only the fourth female president in the organization’s 134-year history.“Women have come into the profession in great numbers, but they haven’t yet moved to leadership roles in the profession,” said Ms. Kaminski, 49, of Bainbridge. “One of my goals is to put a point of emphasis on that. I’m a big believer that women need a say at the table where decisions are made.”She added, “I’m hopeful that one day (this) won’t even be a discussion.”

'Gutsy' move

Ms. Kaminski, for one, certainly has risen to a place of prominence on Cleveland’s robust legal scene. Three years ago, she co-founded the Cleveland law firm Giffen & Kaminski LLC. She also has achieved a prominence in the community at large, serving as president of the Hitchcock Center for Women, which helps women fight the effects of chemical dependency.

Striking out on her own after leaving the Cavitch, Familo, Durkin & Frutkin firm of Cleveland, where she was a board member, was “gutsy as all get out,” said Carole Rendon, co-founding partner of Kushner & Rendon of Cleveland. She met Ms. Kaminski about three years ago through their mutual involvement in the bar association.“Kerin is committed to breaking down the glass ceiling, to breaking through the barrier not just for herself, but for the people behind her,” Ms. Rendon said.Helping start a firm is something Ms. Kaminski always figured she would do.“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “There’s a point where you have to decide either you do that or it’s not going to get done.”

Lending advice

And so far, the move has paid off. The firm started with two attorneys when it was founded in January 2004, and now employs 10 lawyers.“It’s gone far better than we imagined it would,” Ms. Kaminski said.

The advice Ms. Kaminski would give to young female attorneys is the same she would give to anyone fresh out of law school, she said.“Find a way to hook yourselves up (with attorneys) you know are winners and good lawyers,” she said, adding that community service also should be an important part of a lawyer’s life.She remembers that during her early days in law, after a five-year stretch as a teacher in the Parma school district from 1980 to 1985, she was the only woman attorney in her law office.“I was so young and enthusiastic that I didn’t notice it was hard,” she said. “It took many years for me to understand it was just me (at the firm). I was busy being a lawyer.”Strides are being made for women in the profession, though Ms. Kaminski said those strides will need to cover a bit more ground if women are to achieve the same positions of authority that men currently dominate.“We still have a ways to go,” Ms. Kaminski said.